Death by Lightning, a four-episode miniseries that recently dropped on Netflix, tells the story of two “forgotten men,” as the show itself puts it.
Michael Shannon plays James A. Garfield, the Ohio farmer and former Congressman who, despite attending the 1880 Republican convention solely to give the nominating speech for Secretary of Treasury John Sherman (Alistair Petrie), found himself nominated for President after the convention found itself deadlocked between supporters of Former President Grant (Wayne Brett) and Senator James Blaine (Bradley Whitford). Garfield did not want to run for President and he certainly did not want to run with Chester A. Arthur (Nick Offerman), an associate of New York political boss, Roscoe Conkling (Shea Whigham). However, in November of 1880, James Garfield was narrowly elected the 20th President of the United States.
Matthew MacFayden plays Charles J. Guiteau, a failed lawyer and self-proclaimed newspaper publisher who felt that a stump speech he had given at a small rally was responsible for Garfield’s victory. Guiteau expected to be appointed to a position in the Garfield administration, perhaps as Consul to France. In those days of no Secret Service protection and an open White House, Guiteau was one of the many random office seekers who managed to get a face-to-face meeting with Garfield. What Guiteau did not get was a job. While Guiteau may have deluded himself into thinking that he was an inside player, everyone else viewed him as being a pesky and disreputable character. On July 2nd, 1881, Guiteau shot Garfield in the back. After Garfield died in September, Guiteau was convinced that he would be pardoned by the newly sworn-in President Arthur. Instead, Guiteau was hanged on June 30th, 1882.
(It’s now generally agreed that Guiteau was such a bad shot that Garfield would have survived his wounds if not for the incompetence of his doctors, who probed his wounds with their bare hands in an effort to extract the bullet. Garfield died as a result of multiple infections caused by his medical treatment.)
Again, Death by Lightning describes Garfield and Guiteau as both being forgotten men. That’s not quite true. I knew who both of them were before I watched the miniseries but then again, I’m also a history nerd. As much as I don’t want to admit it, it is true that the majority of today’s Americans don’t know either Garfield or Guiteau. And yet, in 1881, America revolved around them and their fate. Everyone checked every day for news on Garfield’s health and Guiteau’s trial was heavily covered by the press. That’s something to remember whenever you hear people talking about how “history will remember” whatever may be happening in the news today. History may remember but people are quick to forget.
As for Death by Lightning, it does a good job of telling not only the stories of Garfield and Guiteau but also Chester Arthur as well. The miniseries takes place at a time when political machines dominated American politics and also at a time when the Spoils system and the widespread corruption that it engendered were both accepted as immutable political realities. Guiteau, having spent his life seeing other people receive jobs for supporting the right candidate, felt that he was naturally entitled to whatever position he requested. Guiteau’s actions actually did lead to reformation of the Spoils system, with President Arthur emerging an unlikely reformer. Never again would a random office seeker by allowed through the front doors of the White House and never again would a President casually walk around Washington D.C. without some sort of guard. With a smart script, good performances, and even a few moments of unexpected cringe humor, Death by Lighting recreates that moment in American history and it pays tribute to James A. Garfield, who was universally described by his contemporaries as being a decent man who was struck down before he could reach his full potential.
How historically accurate is Death by Lightning? That’s a fair question. Death by Lightning sticks to the established facts about Garfield and Guiteau but a scene in which Garfield’s daughter argues with him about immigration is undoubtedly meant to be more of a commentary on 2025 than 1880. I think it can be argued that no film or series can be 100% historically accurate because those who actually witnessed the events in question are no longer with us. Inevitably, the past is always viewed and recreated through the filter of the present. And indeed, it is tempting to compares Garfield and Guiteau to our modern-day politicians and activists. Guiteau, with his constant excuses for his own dumb decisions and his ranting and raving about how he speaks for the people, was a particularly familiar character. As for the modest and honest Garfield, it’s sadly difficult to think of any modern-day politicians from the same mold.
As a final note, my favorite part of this miniseries occurred during the first episode. The recreation of the 1880 Republican Convention is wonderfully entertaining. It’s amazing to think that, in the days before television coverage required political conventions to become carefully choreographed and tightly controlled, there actually was legitimate suspense about who would end up being nominated. Sadly, those days seem to be over.
